Handcuff



Feb. 9 1926. 1,572,262l

A, D. ABBENzr-:LLER

HANDCUFF Filed August 14, 1925 Iam/en fw,

Patented Feb. 9, 1926.

UNITED STA'l PATENT QFFICE.-KV

ALFRED n. ABBENZELLER, on BosTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AssrGNoR To HARRINGTON a RICHARDSON ARMs oo., or woRoEsTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OE MASSACHUSETTS.

RANDOUEE.

Application mea August 14, 192s. serial No. 657,316.

To all who/m, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED D. Annunznm'inn, a citizen of the United States, and a.

resident of the city of Boston, in the -county of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusette, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Handcuffs, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact speciication.

rlihe object of this inventionis the construction of hand cuffs which will not only lock automatically, but can be made to unlock themselves by pressing the pivoted member inward to a point which-leaves thewristopening,smaller than any adults wrist, whereby should an attempted clasp# ing of a persons wrist fail of itsV object, the hand cuffs can instantly be put in condition for another attempt without having to bother with a key.

While I have devised more than one method of accomplishing this, the construction which seems to me to be the most-practical comprises a detent which normally engages any of the ratchet teeth of the pivoted clasping member, but which will be caused to remain'out of such engagement by the simple act of pressing the clasping member inward to a certain point. This is further constructed in such a manner that pulling the clasping member entirely open will restore the detent to its normal engaging function. g

1n the dra-wings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is aview of a pair of enchained hand cuiis embodying my im provements. Fig. 2 is a face view of the locking portion of a hand cuff with an enclosing plate removed. Fig. 3 is a similar view but with other parts removed. Fig. lisa face view from the opposite direction withthe opposite plate removed. Fig. 5 is a sectionalview on the broken line 5-5 in Fig. 8. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line G-G in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a cross section of the locking member on the line 7-7 in Fig. 1.

As shown in Fig. 1, the locking rings are sha'ckeled together by a chainv in a well known manner, theA two members 1 and 2 of each locking ring being pivoted together at 3, the point to whichthe chain 41; is attached. rEhe point of the chains attachment to the locking rings is immaterial, however to my invention, the novelty being embraced in the means for enabling the locking member 2 to be automatically released by the simple act of pressing the' members 1 and 2 toward each other to a predetermined limit.

The member 2 is provided with a ratchettoothed jaw 5 curved concentric with the pivot 3, while the member 1 is provided with a case-6 containing the locking mechanism. This locking mechanism comprises a detent 7 pivoted within the case at 9, and prof videdwith one or more teeth 10 adapted to be pressed into engagement with the toothed jaw by a leafspring 11. Abolt12 slidablel in a groove in the detent and designed to be thrown by a suitable ykey into engagement with a notch 13 for ensuring against unauthorized unlocking of the toothed jaw, is retained in its set positions by a small pin 14 pressed bythe same spring 11 into depressions in the surface of the bolt, as at 15. See Fig. 4. The opposite surface of the bolt is given a notch 16 for being engaged and thrown by the key, the detent 7 having a pounded recess 17 to permit the action of the rev. As shown in Fig. 7, the teeth 19 donot reach across the entire width of the jaw 5 but leave a smooth ledge 20 at each side. One ledge terminates in a cam surface 21 at one extreme, and the other ina cam surface 22 at the opposite end. When the pivoted member 2 is pressed in toward the other member 1 to its .predetermined limit, the cam surface 21 comes into engagement with the lip 23 of the detent 7, shown in Figs. 3 and 5, and thereby raises the detent suiiicientlyr to putits teeth 10 out of the path of the teeth 19. To thus retain the detent while the toothed jaw 5 is being withdrawn, a dog 2a is pivoted on a pin 25 held by the case 6, and is formed with an arcuate slot 26 in which is a pin 27 projecting from the detent, the slot being so disposed that when the detent is raised to its topmost limit the upper end of the slot remains in engage-ment `with the pin thereat and thereby holds the detent in such position.

Now, this dog 24: is comparatively thin andlies in the plane with the ledge having the cam surface 22 at its outermost extremity, ,and is formed with an ear 29 so disposed 27 and to allowthe detent 7 to descend intov turnedy back yout of the way thereof,

but when the detent is raised to its limit and is locked-there by the dog, the curvatureot the slot 26 is such as to cause the ear to swing downward to the'ledge 20' thereunder. `When the toothed jaw is now withdrawn from the locking case 6, its cam surface 22 comes against the ear 29 -'and thereby swings the latter,and hence the dog, in a manner to release the slot from the pin otfhis prisoner, the engagement of the detents with kthe toothed aws 5 `serving 'instantly'to lock them in place. It in seeking to locate the cuis/upon a wrist, there is a failure to enga-ge fa y'wrist `just 'before 'the parts lock together, it is notfnecessary to produce av key"`and unlock the cuffs, but merely f to l"press `the toothed ymember toward the lother v`member u'ntil "its cam' Vsur-tace 21 khaselevated the detent Land thenswings it wid'eopenagain, the actio'not the cam :surtace '22 'against the 'ear 29 as the member 2 swings open, releasing the detent for its intended work. e

When the hand. 'cutis vare finally placed u'pon the prisoners wrists, Athe ofii'er introduces the fkey through the keyhole 30 and throws the fbolt '12 finto its Alocking position.

1. A hand cuff comprising two pivotally united members, 'one Iadapted to lbe introduced into't-he other, means for `automatically locking themftogether when the two members "are brought near 'enoughjtogether to span a human wrist-,'and means torautoinat-ically unlocking them when brought slightly nearer together `than saidfspan, whereby they can Ybe `drawn `apartifn :the opposite `direction without interterencetrom the lock. C y

2. Ah'and 'cuit odmpri'sing'two.pivotally united members, one adapted to =be introducedr into the other, means for automatically Alocking 'them together when the two Y members are brought near'enough vtogether Cal to Span a human wrist, and means orautomatic'ally unlocking them when brought slight-ly nearer together than 4said span, wli'erebytheycan 'be drawn vapart in tlie opposite direction without interference 'from the lock.

`3. A .lock comprising two relatively movable members, one having ratchet teeth 'and a snioothledge'adjacentfsaidteeth, a detent carried bythe'ther `inemberadapted tor engaging-said teetlnfand means located in the vplane-Tot said ledge for raising said rdetent foutief its engagement with said teeth.

4. A lock comprising two relatively movau@ membri-S, ne iming maken teeth and a smooth ledgebeside said teeth, and a detent `pivotally carried by said, other member 'adapted for engaging said teeth, said deteiit havinga lip lying'in'thefp'lane'of said ledge,

Vand said ledge having *a cam surfacev at its.

extremity for engaging said lip and releasing'said detent.

5. A-lock comprising two relatively movable inembers, one having ratchet teeth and a smooth ledge beside said'teeth, 'a detent pivotally "carried 'by said other member adapted forengag-in'g said teeth,-said detent having a iilplfying inthe, plane of said-ledge, and-said=ledgehaving a cam sur-tace at its extremity for `engaging'said lip and disengaging said detent "from said teeth, 'and means l,for retaining said detent in this Ad isengaged position while the toothedy member is beinglwithdrawn. v Y

6. Alockcomfpri'singa stationary member, a movable-member havingratchet teeth and a V smoothV ledge at leach side of the teethone ledge having-acam 4surface at one extremity yandthe other ledge having a'cam suracefa't its ,opposite extremity, a l detent pivotally carried fby lthe `stationary member adapted for engagement with saidateeth-and'having a projection reaching :into ithe .;plf`ane` of one of said ledges, and a dog pivotally supportedby the stationary-member for retaining saijd'detentin'a di'sen-gagedpos'ition and having-a projection extended -into the plane fot the other :ledge when thus holding said detent, whereby-the introduction tol its liinit of the movable 4'member Iinto* theI stationary member causesthe detenttorelease -theteeth of the former, `and `the withdrawal p of ,Y the fmovalble member releases 'the detent from 'said c og;f v -V 7. iA lock comprising a stationary inember, a 'movable ymember hayin'g ratchet teeth and a smooth ledge at each side of the teeth, onefof said led-ges having a camsurfaceat one 'extremity andthe other iledge having a cam `surface l.at `the opposite eX- trem'ity, a detent pivotallyfcarried lby-said stationary-member forv engagement with said teeth and having '"a projection reaching into the plan-e of. oneof sa1d*1edges,-anda dog pivoted KVto lsaid stationary 'member and 'having anarcuate-slot, andalso 'an ear reaching into the plane of theother ledge, said de,- tent "having a -pin located in said slot, the parts being so disposed that vwhen the detent isdisenga'ged romsaid teeth 'said pin rests in said slot in a manner to hold said detent against return toits normal engagement with said teeth, Iand when said movable fmemberi's withdrawnone of said cam Xber, a movable m'emberhavingratchet teeth,

a detent pivotally carried by the stationary member to engage said teeth, a spring for ensuring such engagement, a bolt carried byV said detent adapted to be reciprocated by a key, the stationary member having a notch to receive an end of said bolt, and a pin carried by said detent and pressed by said spring against said bolt to control the latters movement.

9. A handcuff comprising two pivotally united members o-ne of which is formed with teeth, and the other of which is provided with a detent for engagement-with said teeth, and means whereby the detent is forced out from thepath of said teeth by the pressure 1 of the toothed member beyond a predetermined limit.

10. Handcuffs comprising a stationary member, a movable member pivoted thereto and having a toothed jaw concentric with the pvot, the jaw having a smooth ledge at both sides of said teeth also concentric with the pivot, one ledge having a cam surface at one end and the other ledge having a cam surface at 'its end opposite the first cam surface, a detent for engaging said teeth, and means actuated by one of the cam surfaces for throwing said detent out of such engagement, and means actuated by the other cam surface for throwing said detent back into its engagement, whereby the pressure of the pivoted member inward to a certain point releases it from the detent, and its entire withdrawal returns t-he detent to its engaging position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing invention, I have hereunto set my hand this 3rdv day of August, 1923.

ALFRED D. ABBENZELLER. 

